Crew Reviews, Ratings & Info for Petunia-Seaways

In the morning hours, a severe wind advisory swept through western Götaland, with gusts reaching up to 30 meters per second, causing challenges for the roro ferry 'Freesia Seaways' (IMO: 9274848) during its docking procedure at Arendal in Gothenburg. As the ferry attempted to berth at its designated location, Berth 750, it inadvertently allided with the neighboring vessel 'Petunia Seaways' before ultimately coming to rest at Berth 751. Fortunately, the incident resulted in only a minor impact and there were no reports of damage to either ship. Tugs were promptly deployed to assist in maneuvering the 'Freesia Seaways' into the correct position, and a pilot was present on board to oversee the docking process.

In a startling incident on the Humber Estuary last May, a skipper named David Carlin, aged 34, was fined £3,000 after relying solely on an iPad for navigation aboard his 50-foot wooden boat, PEGGOTTY. Carlin's decision to set sail without basic navigational equipment, including a compass, led to a collision with the DFDS Seaways cargo ferry, PETUNIA SEAWAYS, during heavy fog when his Wi-Fi signal failed. The poorly equipped PEGGOTTY, which had malfunctioning navigation lights and radar, found itself in a busy shipping lane, resulting in the crash. The ferry, significantly larger at 1,400 times the size of PEGGOTTY, continued its route to Gothenburg, Sweden, while Carlin's vessel sank within 30 minutes. Following the incident, he issued a Mayday call to seek assistance. At the time of the incident, Carlin was off duty from his role as a pilot with Associated British Ports and was en route from Grimsby to Hull for a survey, planning to sell the former Royal Navy training vessel. Now, he faces suspension from his position amid the fallout from this maritime mishap. Gwen Lancaster from the Maritime & Coastguard Agency's Hull Marine Office expressed disbelief that such a collision occurred, emphasizing that both vessels were captained by experienced professionals who should have exercised better judgment. This incident serves as a reminder of the vital importance of proper navigational equipment at sea.

In a significant maritime case, the captains of the vessels 'Peggotty' and 'Petunia Seaways' were each fined £3,000 following a collision in the Humber during exceptionally thick fog. This incident, which occurred on May 19, 2016, led to the unfortunate sinking of the 'Peggotty', a 50-foot motor launch dating back to World War II. The situation required the immediate rescue of two crew members aboard the 'Peggotty'. David Carlin, the seasoned master of the 'Peggotty', and Thomas Neilsen, captain of the 'Petunia Seaways', faced prosecution after a thorough investigation by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Both masters pleaded guilty to endangering vessel safety when they appeared at Hull Magistrates Court on February 3, 2017. On the fateful morning at approximately 4:30 a.m., the 'Peggotty' departed Grenfell Docks headed for Hull. Despite his extensive experience as a professional master mariner and Humber pilot, Carlin failed to observe critical safety regulations during the perilous fog. He neglected to activate the vessel’s radar, provide sound signals, and ensure all navigation lights were functional. Furthermore, Carlin did not devise an adequate passage plan and relied on an untested mobile application for navigation. Concurrently, the 'Petunia Seaways' was advancing down the Humber towards Grimsby at a speed of 14 knots in complete darkness. Captain Neilsen did not issue sound signals or properly monitor the ship’s radar, which prevented him from recognizing that the 'Peggotty' was in the main shipping channel on a collision course. Just before 4:50 a.m., the two vessels collided almost head-on. The impact caused the 'Peggotty' to sustain significant hull damage, leading it to take on water. Carlin successfully issued a Mayday call, allowing the crew to be rescued by a nearby pilot boat before the 'Peggotty' sank and was eventually lost. During the sentencing at Hull Magistrates Court, the district judge expressed concern over Carlin's multiple safety oversights and deemed Neilsen's navigational decisions as inadequate. In addition to the £3,000 fines imposed on both captains, Neilsen was ordered to pay £9,318.20 in costs plus a £170 surcharge, whereas Carlin faced costs of £6,568 and a similar surcharge of £170.